Definition
Navigation information that shows a pilot the correct vertical path to follow during a descent or approach, indicating whether the aircraft is above, below, or on the intended glidepath.
Plain English
A signal or display that tells the pilot how high or low they are compared to the proper descent path, so they can adjust their altitude accordingly.
Context Anchor
Seen in instrument approach and navigation-system discussions, especially when comparing systems that give only left-right course information with systems that also guide the descent.
Derivation
‘Vertical’ comes from the Latin verticalis, meaning ‘overhead’ or ‘relating to the up-and-down axis.’ ‘Guidance’ comes from the Old French guider, ‘to lead.’ Together, the term simply means ‘information that leads the pilot in the up-and-down direction’ — distinct from lateral guidance, which leads left and right.
Why Pilots Care
It enables precise, stabilized descents that reduce the chance of controlled flight into terrain and support lower approach minimums.
Intuition Check
Do not assume vertical guidance means any altitude information at all. Here, it means guidance tied to a specific vertical path, not just the aircraft’s current altitude.
Example Sentence 1
The RNAV approach provided vertical guidance, allowing the pilot to descend along a stable 3-degree path to the runway.
Example Sentence 2
When vertical guidance was unavailable, the pilot used published step-down altitudes instead.